Soultouched
by Topaz Fox
Summary: This is the sequel to my fic Untouchable. Ter Van's life is the life of a caravanner, everchanging and everchallenging. Can he hold on to the love of his life, a Yukish girl, through every trial that awaits him?
1. Giant Crab

(Wheee! Topaz here. At last, I give you the sequel to my story Untouchable. It may not look like much yet, but I do have certain...plans...for this one. Heh heh. Also, if you are reading this and haven't yet read Untouchable, I suggest reading it before you begin this story. Anyways, enjoy! --Topaz Fox)

**Disclaimer**: I do not own Final Fantasy: Crystal Chronicles or anything of the sort.

"Elga! Help!" Anne ducked as a massive claw whirled over her head. She blocked the giant crab's smaller, less functional claw with her rounded Clavat shield. Elga hopped up to the scene with surprising speed for such a small creature. She grinned wickedly. "Are you ready for this, crab? Here it comes!"

She barreled like a bullet over the soft riverside grasses. With a cry, she threw her weight into her spear and struck the huge crab with full force. It shuddered as the spear point crunched past its gnarled shell and impaled its squishy flesh. The shell cracked and exploded, much to Elga's delight. The Lilty jammed her foot against the crab's exposed body and yanked out her spear, jumping aside as the crab swung at her. "Caliphen!" she yelled over her shoulder. "Go!"

Caliphen straightened his tall frame and raised one great striped hand. Sunlight shone on the contours of his bronze helmet. He stood silent for a moment, absorbed in the ancient magic that lay inside all Yukes, then snapped up his head. "Thunder!" he cried, voice swollen with mystic power.

Rails of static jumped through the crab's tender body. As it tried to shake off its momentary paralysis, Ter Van loped up in his agile, beast-like way. Everything seemed so natural for the Selkie warrior, even the precise back-flips he used to dodge the crab's attacks. He struck the crab twice, three times, then leaped up and brought his weapon over his head. The blow landed right between the crab's revolting black eyes. The eyes wiggled and rolled, and the giant river guardian staggered. The fight would not last much longer.

"Let me finish him!" snarled Elga with barbaric pleasure. She pushed past Ter Van and stabbed the crab repeatedly. The enormous monster quivered and stopped, an inch from death. Elga laughed like she was possessed and threw her spear, which was easily larger than her, with incredible strength. The weapon's metal shaft protruded from the crab like an unnatural parasite. The crab shook, took two steps, and fell to the ground in a disheveled heap.

Everyone stood still, catching their breath. Caliphen was the first one to break the silence. He swept down in a respectful bow toward the body of the great crab. "Thank you, Giant Crab, for an honorable fight." Elga kicked the colossal carcass and grinned. "Honorable, nothing," she chirped. "That was all just raw skill." Anne wiped her brow. "Well, I'm glad it's over." Ter Van scooped the Crystal Chalice up from a nearby stump, smiled at his comrades, and said, "Come on, everyone. We have myrrh to collect."

The four close friends walked under a rock arch and found themselves in a familiar cove. The still grotto was etched with green river-plants, and in the center of it all stood the myrrh tree, stately and mysterious.

Sunlight played off of the tree's glassy blue-green branches. The branches sloped downward and together into a fine point. As Ter Van slid the Chalice on the stone beneath the tree, something that resembled a divine dewdrop began to form at the conjoining of the branches. Everyone held their breath as the beautiful droplet grew to the size of a coin, sparkled brightly, and fell into the deep basin of the Chalice with a plop.

Not two minutes had passed before a loud "Kupo!" rang through the grotto. The ever-faithful Mailmoogle in his patchwork clothes dashed up, wobbling. He held four neat envelopes in his funny little mouth. Up he flew,flitting to each caravan member and giving them all a letter.

Anne ripped hers open first and found a letter from her father, Tipa's resident merchant. Caliphen's letter was from his slightly overbearing mother and Elga's was from her baby brother. Ter Van took one look at the rose seal on the envelope and knew the letter was from Ralthia.

He remembered her so vividly it made him a bit embarrassed. He tenderly touched the rose-embossed wax, reliving the night he had given the rose seal to Ralthia. When he had left, he honestly didn't think he was really, truly in love with her, but he had been wrong. As he recalled her gentle, wise voice and the captivating strangeness of her body, he realized he actually, genuinely…missed her.

_My dear Ter Van,  
How have you been? Is everyone well? Have you collected any myrrh?  
Everything here at home is fine. It all seems very quiet since you and the others left. Nothing much has happened or is happening. I am actually considering breaking away from my alchemy-obsessed relatives and maybe starting a trade of my own, but I'm not quite sure yet. What do you think?  
Oh, Ter Van, not a day goes by without my wishing to see your face again. Be safe, all right? Send everyone my regards._

Ter Van smiled secretively to himself. Caliphen was the only one who noticed Ter Van's expression. He walked over to his friend and read the letter from over his shoulder. Somehow, Caliphen guessed exactly who the letter was from. Yukes had an odd way of…knowing. Ter Van never noticed him, and Caliphen never gave away his position. When he had finished reading, he simply walked away.

The Mailmoogle tapped his foot impatiently. "Come on, kupo! Give me your response!" The fuzzy creature's slightly obnoxious voice cut through Ter Van's dreamy state. Taking a pen and a sheet of parchment, he scribbled:

_Wonderful Rallie,  
I've been pretty good. The four of us just defeated River Belle Path's guardian, the Giant Crab, and collected a drop of myrrh. Elga is still the same little fighting savage she's always been. Wow, I would hate to meet her in a dark alley.  
I do miss Tipa…and everyone…and you. I think your idea sounds fantastic. I will support you in anything you choose to do with your life.  
Gotta go now. The Mailmoogle is giving me a dirty look. I am greatly looking forward to the day I see you again. I need you like a Crystal needs myrrh.  
Yours always, Ter Van._

Finally, the agitated Mailmoogle gathered all four responses and flapped away.

Night fell like black satin on the countryside. The Tipa caravan set up camp near River Belle Path, well out of the way of any monsters. Anne tethered the papaopamus to a thick tree and spread some feed on the ground before it. Elga swiftly gutted four freshly-caught fish and Caliphen positioned them on stakes around the campfire to cook. Ter Van did nothing. He sat on a stone next to the Chalice and gazed up at the moon, which was round as a bone wheel and tinged with the faintest gold. Around it splayed stars as far as the eye could see, tumbling like tiny diamonds spilled onto velvet.

He could have been imagining things, but when Ter Van looked around him, he could've sworn he saw Anne looking at him strangely. The fading vein of sunset made her doe-gentle eyes seem on fire. Somehow, deep within them, a kind of longing passion was fiercely personified. Ter Van shivered. Before he could be sure she had even been looking at him, she turned away.

Dinner was eaten without much ceremony. The four Tipa-landers ate the hot fish right off of their charred stakes. Elga and Ter Van tore into their meals heartily, while Caliphen and Anne sort of picked at their food. Eventually, though, everyone finished eating and rolled out their sleeping mats.

Right before the comrades drifted into deep, exhausted sleep, Anne said groggily, "Guys?"

"Yeah?"

"Tomorrow, we're having striped apples."

"I concur," came Caliphen's solemn voice.

"…What's that mean?"

Ter Van smiled from his place sprawled out under the stars. Despite the poisonous seas of miasma that stretched around them, they were having such a wonderful time together. Such a perfect, happy scene…but there was one thing missing.

_Ralthia…how I wish you were here._ And with that, Ter Van closed his eyes and fell asleep.


	2. One Minor Accident

(This is a short, kind of pointless chapter I just added for fun. Some could see it as a pause before the drama, the calm before the storm...heeheehee. Feel free to comment! Comments make writers happy :) --Topaz Fox)

The road stretched before the caravanners like a dusty ribbon in the morning sun. The four of them stood in a rough circle, arguing about where to go next. They had several choices, but it seemed that nobody could quite decide where to go.

Light from the River Belle danced like thin diamonds behind Caliphen. "Let us go to the Veo Lu Sluice," he said slowly. "There is much treasure there, and we have not gathered myrrh from that myrrh tree in three years. Also, because I am of the Yukes, we may cross the mystic bridge into Shella." He eyed the two girls, knowing their weakness for accessories. "And you know there are many fine tailors in Shella."

Elga was not tempted. "The Sluice is so boring," she whined. She shifted her weight, making her Alfitarian armor clank. "Let's go someplace where there's action. Like…Daemon's Court! That place is great."

"Daemon's Court is all the way across Jegon River. Which means we have to take the ferry. Which requires money," reasoned Ter Van, leaning up against the caravan. "Which we haven't got much of. How about Mushroom Forest?"

Anne shook her head. "We already collected myrrh from there last year. I don't think the myrrh tree has refreshed its supply yet." Ter Van groaned deep in his throat and crossed his arms, thinking.

So the Tipa caravan members bickered and thought and discarded possible destinations like old clothes. They decided against Lynari Desert, Goblin Wall, Moschet Manor, and several others before finally falling on the idea of the Mine of Carthuriges. It was nearby, just across the miasma stream to the north of their current position. It required no money to get there, the monsters were plentiful, and the myrrh tree had been given plenty of time to replenish itself. "And," added Elga, "we can ask my uncle in Marr's Passto forge us some totally terrifying weapons." She snickered happily as her three friends sighed and looked on.

With the destination decided, everyone loaded up the caravan, harnessed the papaopamus, and began the journey.

Caravan wheels clattered along the twisting road. The Tipa-landers had not even been traveling for an hour when they ran into a rather thorny situation.

They had incurred the wrath of Elga's short attention span.

Caliphen, who was striding along beside the caravan, noticed Elga was driving a bit oddly. Her head was drooping, and her grip on the reins had become slack. Caliphen figured she was nodding off and tapped on the side of the caravan, causing it to rattle. Elga jerked back to attention, tightening her grip on the reins so suddenly that the papaopamus reared up and bolted, dragging the caravan behind him.

"Oof!" Anne, who had been reading, was thrown from the back of the caravan. She rolled a foot or so before collapsing in a tousled and disturbed mass. Her book landed with a sharp thunk beside her.

Ter Van watched, stunned, as the wildly jerking vehicle clacked off in a blur. Caliphen broke into a full run, which is something Yukes rarely do. His long limbs flailed every which way. "Elga!" he bellowed hoarsely. "Stop!" "I can't!" came Elga's frantic voice, now in the distance. Ter Van managed to guess what was happening and sprinted ahead, his jagged, lunar-blue mane flying majestically behind. Even in an emergency, he was sure-footed and poised.

The Selkie caught up to the runaway caravan in no time. In one sleek movement, he jumped up and caught the wooden edge of the caravan's roof. He used his grip on the thin railing to hoist himself up. Now airborne, Ter Van rolled and dove at the roof itself. He landed nicely and bounced down onto the crazed papaopamus's back. Once there, he put both legs around the rotund blue beast and yanked its ears as hard as he could. "Stop, already!"

Distracted by the boy pulling its ears, the papaopamus halted suddenly. The caravan crashed into it, and although the animal was unfazed, the caravan had been slightly damaged.A front wheel had been splintered, and one of the metal ribs that held up the canvas roof had bent. Poor Elga had also been hurled from the vehicle when it had stopped so suddenly. She landed with ahard bumpon the ground and looked up in pain to see Caliphen hunched over her, quite out of breath.

"Perhaps…" he panted. He inhaled sharply and continued, "Perhaps somebody else should drive for a while."


	3. Night in Marr's Pass

(Here's Topaz, checking in! Now is when the story starts to go uphill...or at least _I _think so. Get ready, folks. It's gonna be a bumpy ride. --Topaz Fox)

Marr's Pass lay amiably at a three-way fork in the road. The Tipa caravanners were glad and relieved to have reached its warm presence. Lilties and Clavats bustled through the streets, buying goods and getting things forged by the famous blacksmiths of the area. It was a warm, agreeable day, and the cheery buzz of people talking was punctuated by birdsong.

First, Caliphen went to get rooms for each of the Tipa-landers at the local inn. Ter Van vanished toward the Selkie merchant's booth; being a Selkie himself, he was bound to get a better deal on all manner of things. The two girls of the group were left to try and persuade Elga's blacksmith uncle to forge them new supplies.

They gathered up the party's battered weapons and worn armor and trekked to the blacksmith's shop. When Nat Dennim, Elga's armor-clad uncle, saw his niece approaching, he moaned a little and stretched his arm behind his head. Elga recognized this nervous habit and knew it'd be easy to get what she wanted.

She hopped up and promptly dropped her armload of equipment on the ground at her uncle's feet. A huge, maniacal fake grin was plastered on her face. "Hi, Uncle Nat," she said brightly. "Fix these for us, will you please?" Anne approached slowly, cautiously eyeing the situation. She knew a family matter when she saw one.

Nat Dennim flinched. "Oh…it's, uh, Elga. How, er, wonderful to see you, dear." Elga motioned for Anne to set down the other equipment in the pile. She smiled again. "Thanks for agreeing to help us, Uncle. We'll be back tomorrow morning sometime to pick up the stuff." Nat Dennim's eyes flashed like flint. "Now, wait a minute," he said with something between a growl and a protest. He kicked a helmet lying in the gleaming pile of goods. "I don't do armor. Just weapons." Elga threw her arms around her uncle's neck and kissed him lightly on the cheek. "Oh, but you can make one little exception, can't you, Uncle?"

"But--I'm really busy, and--"

"Thank you so much, Uncle Nat! I knew I could count on you! See you tomorrow morning, then!" With that, Elga grabbed Anne's hand and pulled her away from the blacksmith stall, waving over her shoulder. "Are you sure that was okay?" asked a hesitant Anne. Elga nodded. "Oh, yeah. Uncle Nat just loves to help any way he can."

----------

Meanwhile, Ter Van walked in a detached sort of way along the path to the merchant's stall. His mind was in limbo, the place where one is where they're not completely present, yet not deep in thought, either. Parades of colors and forms sailed by as he just kept walking ahead, mind drifting like a leaf on the breeze. Something in the corner of his eye managed to break through his semi-trance.

It was a Tulip Yuke, helmet complete with splayed bronze lips, wings a cherry-blossom pink. Ter Van's heart skipped a beat. _Ralthia? What is she doing here?_ He was about to call out her name when he realized it wasn't her. No…the stripes on this Yuke's fingers were wider than Ralthia's, and her wings were edged with milky white, while Rallie's wings were completely pink.

_They used to all look the same to me._ The thought hit him gently, like a tap on the forehead. He and several others. But before he knew Ralthia, the Spirals just looked like Spirals, the One Horns like One Horns, the Black Mages like Black Mages. There seemed to be no individuals. But Ralthia…Ralthia had showed him that even Yukes in the same class differed from one another. Ter Van shook his head, still smiling. _It's amazing how one tiny thing in your life can change your view on everything else._

He looked up suddenly and realized he had reached the merchant's booth already. His eyes flicked toward the bench behind the stall, looking for the familiar face of the young Selkie merchant, but saw instead his attractive accomplice. He remembered seeing her before and tried to recall her name. _Te something._

She was, of course, a Selkie, with turquoise hair pulled back into a hairdo the fanned around her head. She was slumped on the bench, looking rather sullen. The sunlight that filtered through the tree above her dappled her pale skin with golden-green flecks. When she glanced up and noticed Ter Van, her countenance brightened considerably.

"Oh, hi! Welcome! What can I do for you today?" Ter Van leaned on the counter and said, "I need some rainbow grapes…and a half-dozen striped apples…and meat." The Selkie girl vanished behind the counter and came up with a big bunch of rainbow grapes and six shiny striped apples. "As for meat," she chirped, "all we have is this." The girl plunked a large, brown chunk of something gnarled and hard. "Dried beef from the Fields of Fum." Despite the jerky's coarse appearance, Ter Van nodded. "That'll be fine."

As Ter Van was handing over the gil to pay for the provisions, a shimmer of recognition passed through the merchant girl's pretty face. "Hey, I remember you," she said slowly, looking Ter Van up and down. "You're that Ter Van guy from a few months ago. You got a lot cuter." Her exotically-painted eyes narrowed coyly. "I have a couple friends I could fix you up with."

Ter Van felt a slight flush rise to his cheeks. Living in a multi-raced town like Tipa had made him forget how bold Selkies could be around each other. He ran a hand through his tangled hair, trying not to appear nervous. "Sorry, I'm taken," he replied with a sly grin.  
"Oh." She sounded almost disappointed. "Well, that's too bad. Who is this lucky girl?"

_Quick, Ter Van, think of a name!_ "Uh…her name is…R-Ral Thia," he stammered, and mentally slapped himself. _That was really original._

_  
_"Ral Thia, eh? Interesting name. What's she like?"

"Well…" Ter Van's mind wandered back to Tipa, along the dirt road that sliced through the village, and up to Rallie's house. A tiny silver wave of embarrassment swept over him; he still couldn't quite believe he was in love with a Yuke. "She's incredibly smart. I've never seen a more clever girl. And…" He remembered the night of the farewell festival. "She's pretty shy. Once you get her to open up, she's…sweet." Images of her passed involuntarily through his mind. "She's kind and thoughtful, and she's a daydreamer. She's always coming up with ways to defy reality."

_Like falling in love with a Selkie, for instance._

The merchant girl rested her chin in her hands, her eyes aimed upward, as if she were examining something in the sky. At last, she tilted her head to the side. "She sounds…wonderful. Pretty, too, I bet."

Ter Van smiled. "You have no idea."

When she seemed satisfied with "Ral Thia's" description, the Selkie girl gave Ter Van his purchases, all wrapped up in crinkly brown paper. "I approve. Treat this girl well, you hear? She's a keeper; don't lose her. Have a nice day."

----------

All four members of the Tipa caravan met up later that night at the Marr's Pass inn. Caliphen had managed to stretch their gil enough to rent two rooms and purchase a hot meal for each of them. As the sun was setting, looking like a great citrus bobbing in a cloudy tide, everyone sat down to a surprisingly high-quality dinner.

Hot loaves of bannock sat beside little earthenware tubs of butter. Baskets of firm striped apples and juicy rainbow grapes lay side by side. There were plates of chopped and steamed star carrots, mashed gourd potatoes, and thick steaks of meat roasted to savory perfection. Delectable scents eased their way into the slightly stale air. Everybody dug into their meals voraciously.

Darkness fell and the moon rose. The Tipa-landers said their goodnights and separated, the girls going into one room, the boys into the other. Each pair proceeded to flip a coin to see which of them would sleep on the rickety bed, and which would have to sleep on the floor.

Ter Van unfurled his bedroll on the floor, mildly irritated that he lost the coin toss. He could hear Caliphen settling under the sheets of the bed above him. There was a mysterious glint in the darkness as Caliphen removed his helmet and placed it on the table beside him. Sparks of curiosity shuddered along Ter Van's back. Something poked at him to see Caliphen's face without a helmet covering it, but something else told him that some things should not be seen.

Silence. Ter Van rolled onto his back, squinting at the darkness. _I wonder what time it is. Surely Caliphen's asleep by now…isn't he?_

As if on cue, Caliphen's deep voice cut through the dark. "So…you are in…love…with my sister," he said abruptly. He had obviously meant for the words to come out as a question, but they fell flat. The very air in the room tightened. Ter Van didn't know what to say.

"So are you?"

"…I…"

"Answer me."

The situation was getting awkward, almost hostile. The blackness of the night had clamped stealthily around the two friends. _Why is it so hard for me to say it? It's clear as the damn day that I love her. Why can't I bring myself to just say it?_

"Answer." Caliphen's voice was patient, yet tense as a bowstring. One false move, and Ter Van feared he might snap. There was nothing left to do but tell the truth. "Yes. I love her," he said, not hesitating.

There was no response at first. Ter Van sat stewing in an uncomfortable silence, wondering what as going through Caliphen's mind. At last, he said, "Ralthia is breaking many of our ancient traditions as Yukes. She is marrying outside of our race. I find it amazing that you would want to marry into our race; you Selkies are a beautiful people, and Yukes are obviously not."

_Whoa whoa whoa…marriage? Who said anything about marriage?_

Caliphen continued. "She is actually choosing her sweetheart. Unlike the rest of our tribe, she has an actually conscious ability to love romantically. It is most curious. All other Yukes have an age-old custom of having their lovers picked by parents or guardians."  
The word echoed through Ter Van, striking like bronze at his heart. _Lovers._

"Often," Caliphen added, "Yukes are wed to those they have never met. I have always thought that perhaps my dear older sister is the spirit of some other race trapped in a Yuke's body." He chuckled, as if he were trying to lighten the situation. "She is definitely breaking the mold for Yukes everywhere."

Down on the floor in his bedroll, Ter Van was speechless. _What can I possibly say after that random history lesson? Is Caliphen trying to make a point? Maybe I should…I should just…speak my mind. No, speak my heart._

"That's why I love her," he said in a low voice, just loud enough for Caliphen to hear. "She's so…different. Never calculating or anything, just dreaming. And she's brave and strong-willed as anyone I've ever met. She's well-spoken and kind, with an amazing sense of…well, everything. She is the most radiant girl I've ever met. Never once have I thought of her and wished she were prettier. It never crossed my mind even once. I think it's because she has such a drop-dead gorgeous soul." His voice dropped even lower. "And that's why I would do anything for her."

No words--or even sound--came from Caliphen. His breathing wasn't even audible anymore. While Ter Van waited for just a tiny sign of life from his comrade, he noticed subtle rays of blue light glazing the ceiling. As soon as he laid his eyes on them, the shifted a little, fumbling over themselves. Each one at last fell arrow shaft-accurate against the opposite wall. A delicious feeling of contentment wafted all over the room. Ter Van almost fell asleep in the sudden comfort of the moment, but woke up a little when he remembered something.

Yukes could alter the weather…or so he had heard. Could they also change the atmosphere, the very mood of the world around them? Was this Caliphen's way of approving? Bedsprings creaked. "Good night, my friend," murmured Caliphen. Ter Van smiled. "Good night."


	4. Emotion and Persuasion

"Yeah, baby, yeah!" As usual, Elga was beating everything in her path into a pulp. During this particular battle, her prime target was the Orc King. His blood splattered everywhere as Elga incessantly prodded his legs with the tip of her spear. She howled with pleasure as the great creature accidentally hit himself with his own iron mace.

Anne thrust her sword into one of the King's Orc attendants. The beast staggered, grunted, and fell, hitting the ground in a foul cloud of dust and blood. "Elga," yelled the Clavat, "be careful!" "What's 'careful'?" the Lilty hollered back in a mocking tone.

Just when Elga tossed back her head to laugh at the pitiful blood-stained behemoth that was once the Orc King, a huge gnarled fist plummeted down at her. Elga yelped and caught the fist, pushing up on it for all she was worth, trying to keep it from crushing her. It was now Caliphen's time to shine.

He mumbled secret spells into the dank air and heaved his Rune Hammer upward. He pointed the weapon at the King's fist, channeling the spell up from his body and towards its target. With his blizzard ring glinting like mythril on his finger, he half-chanted, half-shouted, "Blizzara!"

Spikes of crystalline ice jabbed up from a gentle blue light that had appeared on the Orc King's hand. They punctured his flesh with the full force of frosty syringes. The immense monster drew his arm back quickly, and Elga was free to dart to Ter Van, who rejuvenated her with a Cure spell.

Many more attacks were executed. At last, the exhausted Orc King drew himself in tightly and began to glow a full-moon golden. The gold aura began to turn violet-red. Anne recognized the attack almost instantly. She called everyone in to attack the King before he could execute his most famous attack: self-destruct.

Blood and dirt flew everywhere. Beads of sweat began to appear on the brows of all four fighters. They needed to work hard now; if the Orc King were to self-destruct, they would all be seriously wounded, if not killed. The Tipa-landers threw their bodies, their souls, their fighting spirits into their weapons, attacking for all they were worth.

Just as the aura around the King had begun to turn the purple-red of a dying rose, the four friends cried out and struck the fiend simultaneously. The aura seeped away. The body of the Orc King, lifeless as a great boulder, swayed and fell down into the grainy soil. When the dust cleared, the caravanners made sure nobody had been seriously hurt. The only one who seemed to be suffering any damage at all was Anne, who had a great bloody gash across her face that stretched from her cheekbone to her chin.

"You guys go ahead," said Ter Van, gesturing to the myrrh chamber. "I'll handle this. I have some Cure Magicite with me." Elga and Caliphen trotted off, neither one with enough energy to argue.

Ter Van knelt beside Anne, who had fallen to her knees. He held the Magicite in one hand and touched Anne's cheek with the other. The feel of Anne's smooth skin under his chapped hands gave Ter Van funny chills up and down his neck. He looked at Anne's face and, for the first time in all the years traveling with her, realized she was…pretty.

_Concentrate. Don't daydream about…_ The thought came involuntarily and brought a cold flush to Ter Van's skin. He could feel his own hands getting clammy against Anne's cheek. _No, he told himself firmly. You have no feelings for this girl. Don't get distracted._ "Cure," he murmured, and platinum sparks glittered their way into Anne's wound, sealing it completely.

Anne looked at Ter Van from under thick, lovely eyelashes. "Thank you," she whispered, making Ter Van freeze up. "Uh," he stammered, "no…problem." A little black demon of doubt flapped its wings in the back of Ter Van's mind. _Eyelashes, pretty hair, nice skin. Your precious Yuke has none of these._

Helpless against his own mind, Ter Van wrestled with his problems as he followed Anne into the myrrh chamber.

The drop of myrrh had already fallen when Ter Van arrived at the scene. The Chalice, now two-thirds full, glittered smugly under the fading light of the myrrh tree. Ter Van watched it sparkle with a trance-like devotion until a familiar voice shattered his thoughts.

"Kupo? Why are you so late, kupo? Not much of a caravan." The rude little Mailmoogle stood tapping its foot on the ground. It jerked up into the air and floated like a soap bubble over to Ter Van, dropping a letter smartly into his hand. Ter Van's stomach seemed to drop into itself as he felt the rose seal under his fingers. Silently, he opened the letter.

_My dear Ter Van,  
How are you doing? I hope everyone is safe and sound. Please come home soon; I miss you, and I have also run into a small dilemma.  
When I told my mother that I wished to strike out on my own, she laughed at me and said that I could not. I asked her why, and she continued to say that she had already made plans for me to be wed to a tailor's son in Shella. It is not exactly a betrothal, so there are still loopholes in the arrangement. The wedding, if the plans are unhindered, will take place in a month.  
I love you, Ter Van._

Pain muffled Ter Van's senses. It wasn't exactly pain in the physical sense; it was just a great burden of terrible fear and loathing that boiled up like poison. Ter Van's mind reeled, and his stomach hurt. One looming thought overpowered all else:

_Why did this have to happen to me?_

He fumbled for a pen and some parchment. His spirit was so overwhelmed with emotion, it felt like it was on fire. The pen shook in his hand as he wrote:

_Sweet Ralthia,  
Everyone here is fine, but it definitely seems like you're not. I'll come home and save you, Rallie, before a month is up. I promise.  
Yours, Ter Van._

As he sealed the letter and handed it to the waiting Mailmoogle, a distant thought flicked through his mind. _I never said I loved her back. But…do I really…?  
_

----------

Night swept over the countryside, its great raven wings spanning from horizon to horizon. The sky was remarkably clear. The stars shone so boldly and were so great in number, they looked like a silver embroidery stitched across a black blanket. Way off in the distance, in a void of indeterminable space, seraphim threads of lightning cast themselves down into the shadowy earth.

The party's next destination was discussed over a dinner of jerky and bunches of rainbow grapes. Elga chomped off a large chunk of dried meat and announced, "I have this all figured out." Everyone looked at her incredulously. "You…do?"

"Yep." She turned to Ter Van. "Say there, Wolfie boy, how much gil did we get from the monsters back in the Mine?" Ter Van shook his head. "I…don't know exactly. It's hard to say. Maybe…five hundred?"

Elga clasped her hands behind her back and began to pace excitedly. "Exactly. So, we got cash now, right? Money can buy a lot of things. Yes indeed. Quite a lot of things…"

"What are you trying to say?" Caliphen cut in skeptically. Elga glared daggers at him. "I'm getting to it, okay?

"Okay, so, like I said, money can buy a lot of things. One of those things is travel. I know for a fact that Tristan the ferryman charges fifty gil a head to go to the Plains of Fum. How many of us are there? Four. How much gil is that? Four times fifty is two hundred. We have more than that. Does anyone see where I'm going here?"

Without actually giving anyone any time to answer, Elga kept talking. "Yes, I'm talking about Daemon's Court. What a wonderful place that is…"

"You are quite determined to go there," Caliphen observed. Elga glared at him again, pouting. "Would you stop interrupting me?" Caliphen only chucked in response.

"So, like I was saying, Daemon's Court is a great place. Tons of monsters, heaps of treasure, and the Fields of Fum are nearby in case we need anything." She looked hopefully at her audience. "So, what do you say?"

Ter Van smiled. "Well, after a sales job like that, I whole-heartedly agree." Anne laughed. "You're something, you know that, Elga?" she said, grinning. "Of course I'll go." Caliphen sighed heavily. "I guess I'm going too, then…"

Elga crossed her arms and smiled broadly. "It's settled, then. Tomorrow at first light we'll go to Tristan's ferry."

Everyone's mood had been lightened by Elga's little escapade. Everyone's, that is, except Ter Van's. While everyone else slept, he curled up in his bedroll, plagued by uneasy thoughts. _Ter Van_, he told himself, _nothing is going to change unless you just go to sleep and see what tomorrow brings._ Looking one last time up at the diamond-velvet sky, he closed his eyes and fell into a thin, restless sleep.


	5. Flan Detour!

(Hey y'all! Tis I. Finally, FINALLY, I have this up...sorry for the delay. This chapter is one of my only sorry attempts at writing humor...I'm not really a 'humor' person, if you catch my drift. Regardless, I hope you enjoy! --Topaz Fox)

The next day was certainly a day of travel. Elga spurred the party on, although she was forbidden to drive. "With this kind of enthusiasm," muttered Caliphen, "she'd probably wreck the caravan completely."  
"And kill us all," added Anne, who was still sore from the last driving incident.

Nevertheless, Elga forced the caravan onward, mainly by means of tantrums and loud, obnoxious threats (which would amount to nothing, everyone knew, but were annoying nonetheless). Ter Van found himself frustrated more than once. _She's like a damn two-year-old!_ he thought irritably.

Hours passed slowly by. Just as Elga was getting on everyone's last nerve, another caravan appeared on the horizon. It appeared to be coming closer. As it clattered along in a cloud of dust, the sounds of clanking armor and loud, raucous talking could be heard. Ter Van looked toward it, squinting in the fiery morning light. _It's the Alfitaria caravan…I think._

Sure enough, a squadron of metal-clad Lilties pulled to a halt in front of them. "Hail, caravanners!" one of them said, sweeping low in a bow. Another of them bowed as well. "Might you have any ointment or first aid equipment, friends? Some of us are suffering."

Elga and Caliphen vanished into the caravan. Even though they were gone only a moment, Ter Van couldn't help but feel awkward being alone with Anne. He examined her cautiously in his peripheral vision. The sunlight gilded her chocolate tresses and bounced along the bronze hairband she always wore. She was saying something to the Alfitarians, laughing, but Ter Van heard nothing of their conversation. His thoughts were drunkenly mixed in with his emotions, and he could no longer tell what was fact and what was not.

After what seemed like an hour, but was probably not even a minute, Elga and Caliphen returned with armloads of various medicines. The grateful Lilties wiggled off dented helmets and damaged gauntlets, revealing bruises, scrapes and even deep sticky gashes. Elga squirmed at the sight of all the blood. "What the heck happened to you guys, anyway?" she asked, tearing off a length of bandage with her teeth. One of the Alfitarians cleared his throat. "We were attacked. As you can see, we barely escaped!"

"Attacked by what, may I ask?"

"A fearsome flan. We…"

Elga dropped a tube of ointment in the dirt,obvious disbelief shining in her eyes."What? Excuse me? A _flan_?" The armored Lilties nodded vigorously. "Yes," one responded. "It was terrible and jiggly, with these disgusting eyes…"

At that very moment, what should burst forth from the underbrush but a yellow flan withits mouth wide. The Alfitarian Lilties surged back in a gleaming metal wave of shock. "It's back! Run away!" Elga rolled her eyes and said nothing. Quite unceremoniously, she strode up to the gelatinous beast and picked up a nearby stick. The flan roared, sounding much like gurgling water.

"Ha! Take this!" Elga then proceeded to hit the flan so hard that its top half was completely severed from the rest of its body. The bottom half, now eyeless, continued to roar. Elga laughed and struck it multiple times, finally reducing it to what looked like marmalade spread out on the ground.

The caravan of Lilties gaped in awe. The upper half of the flan, which was still more or less intact, began desperately trying to hop away. Elga noticed the clumsy movement immediately. "Caliphen!" she called. He turned around. "What? Oh. Yes. Fire."

He cast the spell quickly without even bothering to use his hammer. He simply raised one large hand and transferred a bit of his body heat through the air at the flan. The flan gave one last pitiful screech as phoenix-tongues of fire wrapped around it. The wiggly mass began to smoke and stink a little as it crackled and burned into a black muck.

Every Alfitarian caravanner was awestruck. One of them choked out, "A-amazing! That was incredible! Oh, please, teach us to fight like that, Lady Lilty!"

"Um, the name's Elga, and I don't really have time to…"

All of the Lilties clustered around Elga. She was lost in what looked like a vast sea of large metallic beetles, clicking and scraping against each other, all boggled together in a great mass. The air was thick with their pleas:

"Lady Elga, show us your fighting techniques!"

"Oh, you're so powerful!"

"Please, teach us to fight so we're not ridiculed by our city!"

Elga was trying to suppress her happiness at being practically worshipped. She crossed her arms across her chest and grinned. "Oh, so you're that desperate to learn, eh? Well, okay…I guess I could show you some stuff."

While he watched Elga demonstrate basic spear thrusts to the supposed "greatest warriors in the land", Ter Van grinned to himself. _Elga's gotta be the toughest person I've ever seen. She could eat these poor saps for lunch._ As the Selkie shook his head, still smiling, it dawned on him that he had not spoken much at all that day. If his memory was correct, the last thing he had said was "Pass the jam" at breakfast.

_There's no doubt my mind is screwy today…or maybe it's just my heart._

Ter Van looked almost involuntarily at Anne. He couldn't help it; lately, his thoughts and memories had been jumbled blindly into each other. Ter Van found himself snared halfway between past and present. One moment, he would be dreaming about Ralthia, and the next moment, he would be gazing at Anne.

Now, as he peered over at the Clavat girl, her glowing amber eyes flicked over to meet his. They rested upon his consiousness for just a moment before darting away again. Ter Van's heart sank. Her attention was like a sparrow, refusing to be caught, yet returning suddenly when nobody was watching…and frankly, he was sick of it.

A vision of Ralthia pleaded with her "lover". The sight of her, the memory of her voice, forced Ter Van's eyes back on Elga's little fighting lesson. His love for the Yuke was still there. It ran river-like, unseen, under the vast, enticing land of current temptation.

_Land or water…which matters more…?_


	6. Siren Song

(Hey there, people! Topaz speaking. This is the big dramatic climax chapter...or perhaps not, depending on how you look at the next chapter. I was jet-lagged, sick and tired while writing this, so I'm not really sure how it turned out..._I _like it, but that's just me. Well, whatever your opinion, please be sure to R&R! --Topaz Fox)

(**Mini-Disclaimer:** The song in this chapter is not mine. I'm sure you'll all recognize it, and when you do, you'll know who it belongs to...)

Ter Van woke with a start in the dead of night. He had to lie still for a moment, trying to recall where he was. His mind had been elsewhere…

He rolled over and saw a dull metallic glint. He raised an eyebrow at it in the dark. _What the…?_ His eyes flicked over to the gentle up-and-down movement of a pile of…blankets? He shook his head. _What on earth…?_

It took a moment for Ter Van to realize that the blankets and shining metal were connected. Only then did he remember the object beside him was Caliphen. Everything else came back to him swiftly: _After we crossed the Jegon on Tristan's Ferry, Caliphen told Elga it was far too late to be fighting lizards in Daemon's Court, so we set up camp._

The Selkie boy slowly sat up. Turning his face skyward, he examined the stars and the moon. It was another extremely clear night. There seemed to be more stars than ever, and Ter Van realized for the first time that they had colors; one to the east was reddish, another blue-silver, two more were the faintest polished gold. A tiny, waif gray cloud crept nonchalantly over the moon, momentarily marring its perfection.

Soaking everything in, Ter Van sat like that for a long time. He scanned the frothy black shadows of the riverside trees and suddenly remembered that where his mind had been while he had slept:

He had dreamt of a lush green land full of exotic fruit trees and sunlight, inexplicably beautiful. It was like some sort of paradise. There was no miasma anywhere, nor were there monsters. The only things that inhabited the land were little white sparrows and the occasional cow.

In the middle of the land ran a deep river. Without warning, the river dried up, and the gorgeous lively land withered almost immediately. The worst part was the wind that had picked up after the river ran dry. Ter Van swore it was screaming actual words, but he couldn't recall them…

_I'm losing my mind._

An owl hooted. A miniature symphony of crickets, concealed in shadow, chirped a song, which was halted once by the sharp screech of an animal falling prey to another beast. The Crystal Chalice cast a gentle gossamer glow, a friendly patina, all over the campsite. The sleepy light made it seem impossible that there was so much suffering and confusion in the world…

Ter Van sat and brooded, deep in thought, silently admiring the subtle appeal of the night. He turned to face the Jegon River's whispering warble, hoping the sight of it would calm him a little.

It did just the opposite.

Something was in the river. Ter Van craned to see it. The thing was a shade paler than the platinum river waters, and a half-shade pinker. It dipped underwater for only a moment and rose up again, swaying slightly. Ter Van stood up, trying to identify it. _What in the name of…?_

As Ter Van approached the mysterious object, his heart jerked suddenly. A slight wave of recognition lapped through him. _Oh, hell…not now…please…_

The strange thing in the river happened to be Anne, completely naked. A firm voice that some might call a conscience told Ter Van, _Go back now. Don't even think about staying. What about Ralthia?_

Another voice, this one some would call temptation, said, _Ralthia is not beautiful. It doesn't matter how you look at it; she's just not. Get over yourself and get with the pretty girl. _

Temptation won.

Dropping to his knees behind a rock, Ter Van watched cautiously. A sick kind of amazement was spreading in him. Every fiber of him knew he shouldn't be doing this, didn't even _want _to do this, but for some reason he did it anyway.

Anne had her back turned to him. She was humming very softly, dipping down into the river occasionally and smoothing a wet cloth over herself. Ter Van was close enough to see the tiny beads of water that rolled down her skin, glittered on her shoulders like the finery of a thousand queens. The Clavat's brunette locks were almost black in their wetness, and they would drift around her gracefully when she lowered herself into the water. Otherwise, they hung down and stuck to the smooth, markless skin of her back, twisted into living abstract works of art. She turned her head to the side several times, making Ter Van freeze up, not wanting to be seen but somehow secretly hoping he would be.

Gently, Anne vanished completely underwater. When she reappeared, she tipped her head back, flipped her waterlogged hair, and began to softly sing as she twirled around:

_"Dreaming of the stars on high_

_That speak to me in secret sighs_

_Drifting on a breeze_

_Only I can feel and hear…"_

Her voice lilted and peaked smoothly, going amazingly high, practically soaring. Its delicate beauty helped to distract the nearby peeping Tom, helping him relax about the fact that Anne was not only naked, but lovely beyond words. The way Anne's voice fluttered, circled, flowed reminded Ter Van of doves roosting late at night…

_"Could it be the sacred wind_

_That's pulling me to now begin_

_To walk into the dark_

_Carrying the light of tomorrow…"_

It was like perfume, her singing, permeating the surrounding area with a dizzy sweetness. Ter Van found himself mesmerized, swaying back and forth very slightly in time with the song. The melody embraced him and beckoned him, and he found himself wanting more than anything to be there in the water with Anne…but something stronger than want held him back.

_"Need to walk the wings of high_

_Beyond the earth, beyond the sky_

_C'mon don't hesitate_

_Don't look back, we've got to go now…"_

Fear—yes, _fear_—crept over Ter Van, floating by him much like the cloud that had floated over the moon. It momentarily marred the pallid perfection of the scene, the want, the invisible thing holding Ter Van back. He was afraid…afraid of this beautiful girl, and sick with the fear of what might happen…

_"Don't fear_

_You'll be safe with the one_

_Morning star watching over all…_

_Deep inside so silently_

_My heart must beat_

_Deep inside of me_

_Memories flickering and shimmering on_

_Endlessly."_

He couldn't take it any longer. He knew perfectly well what the one thing that was holding him back was. It was love, _pure _love, not just lust or a love of appearance. It was more vast a love that skin-deep desire, which was what Ter Van had for Anne.

It was his love for Ralthia that was holding him back.

Suddenly, the memory of Ralthia was so powerful it was almost as if she was there, bent over the rock, her great welcome hand outstretched. _Come on. Let us get back to the campsite._

The vision dissipated, and Ter Van, knowing for sure he was utterly insane yet relieved that his heart had straightened out, made sure Anne wasn't looking. Satisfied that she was turned around, Ter Van rose and fled back to the camp.

Once there, Ter Van was about to slip into his sleeping roll when something told him to look in the caravan. At first, he resisted the idea, but then thought, _Why not? I'm crazy anyway. It won't hurt to just take a peek._

He tiptoed around to the back of the caravan, where the luggage and supplies were stowed. _Dig, _his mind commanded. He obliged without the slightest hesitation. After a while, he discovered something he had long since forgotten.

Bright silver caught the moonlight and glowed like a beacon of memory. Ter Van picked up the shining thing and saw that it was an amulet engraved with the stoic, elegant symbol of the Yukish tribe. Ter Van remembered that Ralthia had given it to him the day of his departure. He reprehended himself for forgetting about it and immediately slipped it over his head.

_Oh, Rallie, you told me this would bring me good fortune. _For the first time in what seemed like ages, Ter Van's lips curved in a meager--yet genuine--smile. _It did, Rallie, it did. I'll come back to you…of course I will. _Overcome by a random wave of insight, he said to himself:

_Land may seem to be the staple of life, but without water, the land will wither. Without love, lust withers just as easily._

He had overcome a trial that night, a trial greater than hunting treasure or fighting monsters. He had overcome the trial of truest love.


	7. New Road, New Life

(Aww yeah! I'm done! I'm done! Wheee! This is the last chapter of this story. I wrote it over the course of a few days, and I just finished it now (late at night), so it might be a bit scattered. I hope it'snot, though! Make sure to tell me what you think, and enjoy!)

"Everyone! They're here!"

As soon as the shout rang out, the mumbling villagers grew perfectly silent. The only audible sound was that of the driving rain as everyone strained their eyes in the darkness, trying to catch a glimpse of their returning heroes. The rain beat on the landscape, building suspense like a giant drum.

Finally, after what seemed like hours, the slightest clattering of wheels could be heard through the rain. Two big, lumpy forms hulked into view. The noise grew steadily louder and the black silhouettes grew steadily bigger until one of the shapes could be recognized as a cold, fatigued, sullen papaopamus, shuffling through the muddy path with downcast eyes. When the crowd could identify the other form, so much cheering erupted that its volume made the very miasma balk.

There were the heroes, thoroughly soaked by the fearsome downpour. Ter Van, settled at the driver's seat, raised a tired hand and grinned as people roared with welcome. Caliphen, whose cream-and-brown fur was slicked wet against his skin, and Anne, dressed in clothes so soggy they sagged nearly to the ground, waved as well, looking utterly bedraggled. Elga bounced into sight from behind the caravan, the rain making little chiming noises against her armor.

Everyone was relieved to have their saviors back home again.

The special four were drawn into a huge circle of friends and loved ones who congratulated them and fussed incessantly over them. Ter Van peered over his little brother's head and saw Ralthia, his own sweet Rallie, watching cautiously. He took a half-step towards her, but she took a full two steps back, shaking her head. Ter Van was insulted at first, itching to know what had happened to her. Then the truth smacked into him like an accident that had never meant to be.

_The engagement._

Ralthia must have read the expression on his face, because she nodded once and turned away, striding to her brother. Suddenly, everything in Ter Van's world drained away. He couldn't see anything but Rallie, drowning in a sea of either memories or perceptions of the future. Which, he couldn't tell.

In that blur of emotion, of glinting metal and soft wings, Ter Van felt like washing away, vanishing deep into the earth like the rainwater that dripped from his lunar-hued hair. He had fought so many battles, both physical and emotional, and he had fought them for _her_. But now…

All of his accomplishments had been wiped away.

Desperately, he struggled through the rest of the evening. He needed one chance, one opening, one opportunity to talk to her, and then maybe he could fix this thing that had been done. His sharp Selkic senses were tuned to the sight of her, her voice, even her scent. Yet she was nowhere to be found.

Miraculously, the heavy rain cleared up soon after the caravanners arrived, as if nature itself were celebrating the occasion. The moon shone with acute sharpness, not gold but burning white, and the stars that twinkled around it were whiter still. Despite all this brilliant dazzling light, the night sky was blacker than oblivion, darker than a thousand ravens roosting in the clouds. The air was pure and thin. People were milling around outside deep into the night, stargazing, conversing, and reveling in the return of Tipa's own heroes. Even the shops were open late.

Ter Van literally spent hours wandering around the shadowy little town. He would be stopped every now and again by someone who wished to congratulate him on his achievements. Ter Van would thank them, but every time, he thought to himself, _What achievements? The one thing I fought the hardest for is…lost._

His useless meanderings brought him at last to the high cliff on the edge of town. It stood rigidly above a sprawling green meadow, purple in the moonlight, with the occasional tree or patch of pastel-colored flowers. The colors and shapes of everything were warped this late at night, and Ter Van was thinking that everything seemed so dizzy that he might be dreaming when Ralthia appeared.

She seemed to come from nowhere. She materialized in the darkness, an endless mystery in and of herself. Ter Van looked at her and he barely even recognized her, he was so drunk with fatigue and pure disbelief. "So it's true," he said, ever so slightly slurring his words. "You're getting married."

Ralthia flinched at the bold, straightforward way he said it. "Yes," she murmured. "It has been…decided." Ter Van looked up at Rallie's face, wondering what kind of eyes peered back at him from under the bright helmet, and whispered, "There's no way to…" "No," Ralthia cut in. "Yukish law is very strict." They both fell silent. Neither one had any idea what to say. It was almost as if the love between them was starting to warp, unsure and cryptic as the night around them.

Then Ter Van shocked them both by saying, "Let's get away from here." Ralthia became rigid. "What…? What do you mean?"

"I mean what I say. Let's run away from Tipa. Together."

Ralthia stiffened even more, then slowly backed away from her beloved Selkie. "No, no, no. No way. I cannot…I mean, it would not…I…"

Even through her hesitant stammers, it was obvious that she wanted to escape just as badly as Ter Van did. Ter Van looked at her with a radiance like pride, only more regal and more fierce. It could only be described as determination. Nothing could stop him now.

Madly thinking of a sensible way out of the situation, Ralthia crossed her long arms. "Well, it seems like you have forgotten, but we're surrounded by miasma. How in the world would we…"

"There's always the back-up Chalice."

Ralthia became silent as she pictured the town's extra Crystal Chalice, their assurance of survival in case anything should happen to the original Chalice. She went on a mental journey, tracing from memory the path to Roland's home, going out back to the entrance of the tiny lean-to behind his house. She remembered seeing the Chalice there many times before, guarded only by a lazy row of horizontal iron bars that anyone could get through. Up till then, nobody had really _wanted _to steal the Chalice; to do away with it was to do away with Tipa's last hope. Not to mention the punishment for the Chalice's theft was extremely harsh…

"Ter Van," she said blankly, "you know the penalty for a robbery like that." Ter Van nodded quite matter-of-factly, his eyes dancing wildly. "Yeah, yeah, the person who's caught with it is sentenced to death. Whatever. By the time everyone figures out what hit them, we'll be miles away."

"Miles away and wanted for stealing."

"That's what name-changing is for. We could have completely new identities."

For the second time in that frenzied conversation, Ralthia could find no words. She knew that Ter Van was like dry tinder: once an idea caught within him, it blazed furiously until it could be quenched. He was…like that, and he always had been. Some would call it passionate; most would call it stubborn. Ralthia lowered her great inhuman head. "But," she said, hardly more than a whisper, "but…you're asking me to elope, and I haven't even touched you yet."

Something in Ter Van's face softened. _She's right, you know. Don't be so rash. _Maybe it had been a bad idea to propose this crazy plan, but now that he had started, he couldn't stop. Ignoring little plagues of fearful contortions, echoes of the fact he hadn't completely come to grips with loving a Yuke, he said, "Well, touch me now."

At first, Ralthia shrank back a bit. The words had come out suspiciously like a challenge. Quite frankly, Ralthia was intimidated by the raw splendor before her, the silver-blue blur that occupied her every dream. He had always seemed so unreachable, so untouchable, so out of the question that she could not help but want him. But now that his heart was within sight, what could she do?

No option seemed more right than to oblige his request. With shaking hands, she reached out to his face.

Her touch was tentative at first. Her finger first alighted on his cheek, staying very briefly before moving to his silky hair. Carefully, as if Ter Van would break if she made a wrong move, Ralthia tucked the stray lunar strands behind his ear. Her hand left him for a moment, and in that moment, the Selkie boy felt more tired than ever. It felt as if, somehow, those great, smooth hands had stolen energy from his very core.

Then, without warning, Ralthia put both large hands on Ter Van's face. The great striped digits swept like cracked suede across his cheeks, his brow, his nose, soaking up the heat that rose to his skin due to his awkward embarrassment. Rallie's hands moved feverishly, reminiscent of the desperate touch of a blind woman.

It seemed like Ralthia was memorizing each and every aspect of his face when her hands suddenly dropped to her sides. Ter Van's mind was still catching up with the events of the past few moments, and thus, he was rendered speechless. The two watched each other in a slightly detached manner, as if they were on different sides of glass. The moon hung above like a mirror's silver backing that had escaped its glass, and it seemed every star was threatening to fall, to burn the world below into a charred fantasy of senselessness, when—

The invisible boundary fell apart. It didn't even bother to shatter…it just slipped away, disappeared. No longer were they looking through blurry dream-lenses of eyes; now both of them seemed closer to their lives than ever.

Even though her face was concealed by bronze, Ter Van could miraculously tell that Ralthia was smiling. "All right," she said quietly. "Let us get going. If we're going to do this, let us go now."

A few meager belongings and just enough food to last a week or two had been gathered in the haste of darkness. The tattered edges of the horizon were already drunk with pre-dawn purple. It was time for Ralthia and Ter van to leave.

Ter Van hugged the bags of goods close, slinging one over his shoulder. He glanced over to see Rallie—_his _Rallie, now—cradling the stolen Chalice in her long arms, seeming to worship its fragility and the immense possibilities it held. "Ready?" he asked, and she nodded without the slightest quaver of hesitation.

Turning around, they gazed at the little sleeping town of Tipa for what could have been the last time. "Good-bye, Tipa," Ralthia half-said, half-chanted. "You have been good to us, but now it is time we fled the nest." Ter Van simply nodded and smiled at the one most unlikely girl to ever win his heart.

And yet…somehow, she _had _won it.

"Let's go." He shifted the bag on his shoulder and took one step. Ralthia, also, took a stride forward, and Ralthia said, "The first step to a new life."

The sun was coming up now, and new beginnings swam thick in the honeyed air. The wind tossed gently along, somehow granting the couple with confidence equal to that of any warrior or king. Their love would surely flourish now, and what grows from love this untainted and true, anyone could say. The horizon lay endless in their future, holding infinite lands and dreams. "Yeah," said Ter Van, looking into the sunrise. "A new life just for us."

-Fin-

(Sooo...there's room for another sequel, if need be. Got the trilogy thing going on, I guess. I want to thank everyone who read (and reviewed!) this. Special thanks to regular readers like Korean Boron and The One True Koneko! All the support--from all of you out there--has helped me tons. Now, until next time...ciao! --Topaz Fox)


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